Former Power Hitter Dominating In Red Sox System As Hard-Throwing Reliever
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Do the Boston Red Sox have the next Shohei Ohtani on their hands?
Absolutely not, but prospect Michael Gettys still provided one of the most intriguing storylines of the 2022 minor league season.
The 26-year-old was previously most known for his 2019 season with the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas (San Diego Padres affiliate), where he hit .256 with 65 extra-base hits including 31 home runs and 91 RBIs in 128 games.
After being acquired by the Red Sox, he was assigned to Triple-A Worcester where he was never able to take the next step, hitting .201 with 12 extra-base hits and 14 RBIs in 46 games in 2021.
With his play trending in the wrong direction, he decided to attempt to reinvent his career, this time on the mound. The now right-handed reliever played the final five games of his 2021 season in the Florida Complex League, where he allowed two earned runs in five innings.
This year was a breakout season for Gettys, who went 4-1 with seven saves in eight opportunities, posted a 2.23 ERA and a 31-to-15 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 48 1/3 innings between High-A Greenville and Double-A Portland.
He finished the season on an incredible note, as his promotion to the Sea Dogs appeared to breathe new life into Gettys. The 6-foot-1, 217-pound reliever posted a 0.48 ERA with a .167 batting average against in 18 2/3 innings at the Double-A level.
Gettys features a fastball that tops out at 95 mph and a breaking ball that could be defined as either a curveball or slider. He pitches to contact and still needs to develop a stronger pitch mix but has been highly productive in his first professional season as a pitcher.
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